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Understanding and Providing a Developmental Approach to Technology Education

Update

The project consortium has created a unique developmental approach for technology education: Compared to many other projects that have tried to involve girls in technology, the UPDATE approach includes a strong focus on early childhood and primary education, phases in which the attitudes are often formed. From th is understanding, it is far too late to start to try rising the girls' interest at only at secondary or later stages.

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Multinational Project Consortium

16 partners from 11 different countries participated in this multinational European project; the members came from Finland, Germany, the United Kingdom, France, Italy, Spain, Greece, Austria, Slovakia, Estonia and Romania.

The project was funded by the European Commission as a Specific Support Action (SSA) with € 922,300 for years 2007-2009. UPDATE was part of the Sixth Framework Programme of the EC.

The project UPDATE was funded by the European Community's Sixth Framework Programme.

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UPDATE - FP6 Project 2007-2009

UPDATE stands for Understanding and Providing a Developmental Approach to Technology Education – Aim of the programme was to improve science and technology teaching in Europe in order to appeal young people to technology, especially girls. New ideas and visions for learning, and teaching methods resulted from the project which focussed three age-groups mainly: early childhood, elementary school (age 6 to 12) and general education (age 13-18).

Innovative Aspect

The innovative aspect of UPDATE was that the approach included a strong focus on early childhood and primary education. At these ages most attitudes are shaped sustainably, so it might be too late to start raising interest only at secondary or later stages. The UPDATE project's aim was threefold: > 1) to examine why girls drop out from technology education at different stages of their education > 2) to create new ways and educational methods to make technology and technological careers appear more attractive for both girls and boys > 3) to promote, encourage and mobilise especially girls and young women for engineering and technology both as a career, and as active users of modern technology.

We are convinced that with new, improved technology education practices it is possible to make science and technology more attractive for young people, promote their interest, and encourage their critical and creative ways of thinking.

Several studies conducted by the European Union (e.g., Eurostat 2004, Implementation of “education & training 2010” work programme) demonstrate that women and girls are continuously dramatically underrepresented in science and technological education, areas, and jobs. This is highlighted in the Joint Interim Report “Education and Training 2010” by the European Commission under domain of Maths, Science and Technology (MST). The joint report points out the persistent shortage of women in scientific and technical fields and calls on Member States to encourage the development of a scientific and technical culture among its citizens. In particular, action was recommended in order to motivate young people, especially girls, to undertake scientific and technical studies and careers. Even in countries where gender imbalance is not a problem in the areas of mathematics and science, there is a marked imbalance when technology subjects are taken into account. Technology, where the science is put into action, is an area where the gender imbalance culminates, and therefore the focus of the UPDATE project.

The UPDATE project’s aim is threefold: 1) to examine why girls drop out from technology education at different stages of their education, and 2) to create new ways and educational methods to make the image of technology and technological careers more attractive for both boys and girls, and 3) to promote, encourage and mobilise especially girls and young women for engineering and technology both as a career, and as active users of modern technology.